Sleeve gastrectomy in older obese patients

Background With global aging, obesity will increasingly affect the older population with higher risks of morbidity and mortality, yet full consensus has been obtained for the role of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in the older obese. Objective The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of SG in the older obese. Setting Bariatric department, large teaching hospital, The Netherlands. Methods Between August 2006 and December 2011, 135 patients aged 55 years or older underwent SG. Outcomes in terms of perioperative complications, weight loss, remission of comorbidities, and revision were extracted from our prospectively held database. A subanalysis was done comparing three age groups: 55–59 years, 60–64 years, and 65 years and older. Results During mean follow-up of 14.6 months, short-term mortality was 0 %. The 30-day complication rate was 11.1 %, without significant differences between age groups. Late complications occurred in 4.4 %. In 14 patients, revisions were performed because of development of reflux disease or dysphagia. Significant reduction of comorbidities was found in all age groups, except for sleep apnea. Among the total cohort, excellent weight loss was achieved during follow-up. Conclusions Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as a primary treatment modality for the older morbidly obese is an effective and relatively safe procedure in terms of weight loss and remission of comorbidities with an acceptable low complication rate.